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The Ancient Art of Magic, Curses and Supernatural Spells

As long as humanity has had beliefs in deities, the supernatural, and the power of magic, the use of magic, spells, and curses have featured widely across cultures. Very much entwined with human nature, such beliefs and practices have continued to the present day. Archaeological finds show evidence of a plethora of ancient curses and protective spells, such as the discovery of cursed tablets , evil eye talismans , and warding items .

The history of curses varies between cultures, locations, religions or beliefs, and times. However, the intention of the curse has consistently been to conjure a supernatural power to inflict misfortune or punishment on a target. A curse, sometimes called jinx, hex, or dark spell, can be verbalized, written, or sometimes cast through elaborate ritual. The aim is to see harm befall the recipient - bad luck may dog them, death may take them, or any number of dire (or annoying) fates may plague them. In antiquity a curse was a powerful phenomenon, often viewed as the summoned wrath of gods, or the presence of evil forces.

It was believed that those finding themselves cursed could seek help from magic practitioners, shamans, religious leaders, healers or witchdoctors, and have the curse reversed through counter rituals or prayer. A way to avoid being cursed in the first place was to possess certain items of protection or warding.

The purpose of spells and curses were, and remain today, aimed at punishing or changing behavior, warding off disaster, and controlling the actions of other people.

Pharaohs Curse

Ancient Egyptian curses are probably the most notorious. They gained infamy in 1922 when the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun was opened. The mysterious deaths of some of the archaeology team and prominent visitors to the tomb soon after it was opened, and the subsequent publicity, caused a firestorm of speculation as to the power of the curses. Journalists and authors of the day fanned the flames.

In reality, deadly curses in royal tombs in Egypt are rare, as the idea of invaders or raiders breeching the tomb and desecrating the contents was unthinkable and even dangerous to inscribe. Warnings or wards were more frequently used to preserve the ritual purity of a tomb, or for generalized protection. Wikipedia notes that some curses can be found in private tombs of the Old Kingdom. One tomb from the 9 th to 10 th dynasty warns "any ruler who... shall do evil or wickedness to this coffin... may Hemen ([a local deity]) not accept any goods he offers, and may his heir not inherit".

The Royal Cobra (Uraeus) on the mask of Tutankhamun represented a protector goddess, and not a curse. ( Wikipedia)

Warnings and Wardings

Curses, or the threat of cursed objects, was a clever method used to protect valuables. During the Medieval period, book curses were widely used and effective at keeping thieves away from precious tomes and important scrolls. The Medieval Catholic Church possessed many of the books, and the penalty for defacing or stealing books was high. Curses written in the tomes warned would-be thieves of dire repercussions, such as excommunication or damnation. This practice dated back to pre-Christian times, and was used in the earliest libraries. The books in a collection at the library at Ninevah in Mesopotamia were marked with various curses. In what reads as a threat against copyright infringement, one text has the warning, “Whosoever shall carry off this tablet, or shall inscribe his name on it, side by side with mine own, may Ashur and Belit overthrow him in wrath and anger, and may they destroy his name and posterity in the land.”

The idea of curses and jinxes is found in various holy books, as in the Christian Bible. The Generational Curse is one mentioned, appearing multiple times, notes GotQuestions, “(Exodus 20:5; 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9). God warns that He is “a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.” The recommended way to break the generational curse is to repent and find salvation.

The infamous Devil’s Bible , a massive manuscript that legend says was written in a single night by a monk in a pact with the devil, is said to be cursed and brings misfortune to any who possess it.

Malevolent Hexes and Witchcraft

While history shows that pre-Christian beliefs included the power of both light blessings and curses, the concept of dark curses is now often associated with witchcraft and dark spirits.

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Liz Leafloor

Liz Leafloor is Editor Writer and Member Coordinator for Ancient Origins Having worked in news and online media for years Liz covers exciting and interesting topics like ancient myth history technology archaeological discoveries life and death and the unexplained Liz... Read More

Comments

Starlady,
Would you be willing to attempt to reverse a curse that has been placed on me by an ex boyfriend? He has definitely been practicing dark magic and has sent multiple curses my way. Please help if you're willing! In gratitude. . .

Believe it or not Black Witches still exist in the world today and are still binding people in consciousness, casting spells etc. I am a shaman and I have had many dealings with a black witches in this life. Spirit or the divine source works through my consciousness to undo spells, hexes and curses and what has been bound in consciousness through hidden means. I don't get paid for doing this work, spirit simply works through me, to undo damage that has been done by black witches. It is all rather fascinating. Spirit couldn't undo a binding or a curse or spell through my consciousness if I had not participated in black witch craft in other life times, which I did. In this life I had black witch craft cleansed and purified from my consciousness, so that I can work with love and understanding and compassion to transform the damage done by black witches. You have to remember that black witches are no different to someone that seeks human power and control through manipulation or any other means, Black witches generally have an extremely wounded inner child that has never been healed, they are damaged people.
If your involved in any form of politics or seeing oneself as an expert,or you seek power over others in any size shape or form then your playing the human power game. 85% of people on the planet are involved in playing the human power game on some level. So before you judge others look at your own shadow self to what you need to transform and heal in order not to play human power games..

This article provided me new information about curses throughout history and reveals how doing so probably was the only way some were able to let go of their resentments, perhaps an ancient form of therapy for them. I had not heard of the "evil eye" or protection pendants to prevent the evil eye curse.

I love coming across new articles about ancient magic, however I would like to point out that one should do ones own research and practice. The desire for wisdom and power is only a desire manifest when one faces the truth. The truth can only be found when the dark and light of oneself is known and accepted and when the dark and light of everything else is too. Blessed Be, Morgana xxx

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